The former Calgary mayor is beloved by many in the province. He might well be the favourite in the race to succeed Rachel Notley as leader of the Alberta NDP. But he's never really been involved with the party, and his trademark 'purple' comes from blending Liberal red and Conservative blue. No orange in sight. But his campaign will force some fascinating questions onto the party, both in Alberta and nationally. Questions that have been bubbling just below the surface for the past couple of elections, and are making insiders wonder about the future of a unified national NDP... GUEST: Graham Thomson, Alberta-based political analyst We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It can be easy, given our changing climate, not to worry much about events that aren't extreme. It's not flooding? No hurricanes or heat waves or wildfires? Just a little rain?! Well, we can live with that. And maybe we can, but in the Arctic, a lot of things can't. In recent years, snowfall has been replaced with rainfall more and more often. And sure, they're just different types of moisture, but the impact is fascinating and profound. And has a ton of implications for both Canadians in the region, and every other creature that makes its home up there. GUEST: Ed Struzik, writing in The Tyee We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It was one of the strangest scandals in recent Canadian history, located right at the spot where the housing crisis collides with the climate crisis. From allegations of political corruption and RCMP investigations to endangered species and Las Vegas massages. Every Monday for the next three weeks, The Big Story, in partnership with The Narwhal, will take you into the heart of the Greenbelt scandal that rocked Ontario, speaking to the people who broke the story and people who lived it. If you think you know what happened... you don't know it all. Hosted by Emma McIntosh, investigative reporter with The Narwhal. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

More and more Canadians are struggling to afford the costs associated with the death of a loved one. In Newfoundland, a recent news report reveals bodies are piling up in a freezer outside of a morgue for this reason. Jordan talks to Erin Bury, CEO and co-founder of Willful, a digital estate planning app that aims to make estate planning more accessible and affordable. Do you have a money problem? Call us and leave a message at 416-935-5935. Or email us at hello@itepod.ca. You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok @InThisEconomyPod. Don't forget to leave a call-back number, so we can get in touch. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Over the past few weeks, there have been hundreds of questions, plenty of notes and briefings, dozens of hours of testimony (including from the Prime Minister himself) and no shortage of references to classified intelligence—all this during an inquiry aiming to help the foreign interference commission, and the Canadian public, learn exactly who knew what about efforts to impact Canada's elections, and what they did about it. If that sounds like a mouthful, well, it is. The inquiry is attempting to balance the need for transparency with the imperative to protect Canada's intelligence operations, and it has often left questions half-answered, or responses less than declarative. So on the final day of this phase of the inquiry: What have we actually learned, for certain, about efforts to interfere in Canada's elections? GUEST: Laura Stephenson, professor of political science, Western University; co-director of The Consortium on Electoral Democracy We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

In 2021 the federal government vowed to create a pathway to allow thousands of migrants to remain the country. Instead, deportation levels the past two years are higher than they've been in more than a decade. And we've spent more than $100 million on the deportation process. How did we end up with the opposite of what the government promised? Given Canada's shortage of housing and the health care crisis, how should the government handle the hundreds of thousands of migrants in the country? Why does the deportation process cost so much money? Is there a better way? GUEST: Noushin Ziafati, reporting for The Breach We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Recent weeks have seen gruesome and tragic incidents in both Toronto and Edmonton involving dogs attacking children, leaving one child dead and another with life-changing injuries. Those stories are backed by numbers from many Canadian cities—including Toronto and Edmonton—showing a surge in attacks or dangerous incidents over the past couple of years. What's behind the spike in attacks? Is it pandemic puppies, as some suggest? Lax enforcement? Incompetent owners? All of those and more? And more importantly, what are we doing about it? What works and what doesn't when it comes to keeping dogs under control in our cities? GUEST: Dr. Tim Arthur, Ottawa veterinarian and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association President-elect We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

In a 12-month span from 1990-1991, three teenaged girls were murdered in Victoria, BC. All three had been sex trafficked and were working on what was then the city's "stroll" where sex workers solicited clients. All three were found separately, and the ensuing investigations were a jurisdictional mess. The crimes are unsolved to this day, though some with knowledge of the cases believe they may have been committed by the same person. Who were these girls and how did they find themselves on the stroll? What might we learn about these still-open cases more than 30 years later? Why couldn't police make headway in the 1990s and what's changed that might finally help bring the killer or killers to justice? GUEST: Laura Palmer, host and creator of Island Crime Season 6: Sweethearts We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

In response to sky-high grocery costs, Canada's Competition Bureau recently issued a report calling for more competition in the sector. That call was echoed by the federal government, who had hoped to lure a foreign chain, such as Germany's Aldi, to Canada to give consumers options. But Aldi won't be coming, and neither will anyone else, at least not anytime soon. Why is it so hard for companies to enter the Canadian market and compete against homegrown companies like Loblaw, especially in the grocery sector? How could Canada make it easier for competitors to set up shop? And should we be encouraging foreign-owned businesses over ones owned and operated by Canadians in the first place? GUEST: Vass Bednar, Executive Director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy in Digital Society Program; author of regs2riches.com We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Should I put my savings into an RRSP? If I do that, will I pay less taxes? What happens if I want to access that money before I retire? These are just a few of the RRSP-related questions we've received lately. So, here's everything you need to know about RRSPs in one episode. Just in time for tax season! With Jackie Porter, certified financial planner and ambassador for FP Canada, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to championing better financial wellness for all Canadians. Learn more about FP Canada here. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Do you miss that beloved cat or dog that passed away? Good news! For only tens of thousands of dollars, and probably a few failed attempts, you can have an identical genetic replacement. Years ago Barbara Streisand made news for cloning her dog. But since then the technology has become much more accessible. A woman in BC made Canadian headlines in March for her two kittens, cloned from a deceased cat named 'Bear'. But these pets can't consent to being clones--which come with more risks than a traditional cat or dog--nor can the cats or dogs who carry the fetus. And while pet cloning technology comes to the masses, scientists are working on the next step. To save endangered animals? To bring back extinct ones? And in some dark places around the world... perhaps even attempts to clone humans. GUEST: Kerry Bowman, bioethicist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It's a case that sparked protests, made national headlines and may have swung a provincial election. And it's about to head to trial. You probably know it best for the fight over whether or not police would search Winnipeg's Prairie Green landfill — but at its core this story is about vulnerable women and the system that forgot them. As Jeremy Skibicki's trial begins this month, the landfill search has not. Why not? How did the alleged killer find his victims, and why was he free to find them in the first place? What will we learn about the connections between the women and Skibicki and could this all have been prevented? GUEST: Rachel Browne, investigative journalist, writing in Maclean's We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It can be confusing. Depending on which party you listen to, the carbon tax—or "price on pollution"—will either cost you or save you money. And both sides are using accurate information, just differently. But what isn't debatable is that the government's signature policy has been under unprecedented attack over the past year, and the increase that kicked in on April 1 was met with protests and scorn around the country. But will you actually feel it, and if so, when? Where does the policy stand five years after implementation? And is it beginning to die a death of 1,000 cuts? GUEST: Cormac Mac Sweeney, Parliament Hill reporter, CityNews We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

You know how your iPhone uses a different charging cable than your friend's Android? Well, imagine you've just bought a $50,000 tractor ... that only works with parts from the company you bought it from. Or an expensive printer that only takes one kind of ink. Welcome to the fight for interoperability, a battle against the plans of companies to use digital technology to lock customers into their platforms, forever. How did we let things get this far? Who's fighting back and what regulations are they fighting for? One of the first victories in this war was Apple being forced to move to a universal charger on its' new iPhone. Now what's next? GUEST: Anthony Rosborough, Assistant Professor of Law & Computer Science at Dalhousie University; doctoral researcher in Law at the European University Institute. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Maple syrup isn't just a staple of Canadian culture. It's big business, especially in Quebec, where the sugary liquid is so vital to the economy that the province keeps a special syrup reserve on hand to control price fluctuations. Except that reserve is running low, dangerously low, after a couple of warm winters coupled with increased demand ate up most of the excess. And with climate change bringing even warmer winters in the years to come, the syrup industry is on alert. Is this a challenge to be overcome with ingenuity, or a crisis in the heart of syrup country? GUEST: Warren Mabee, director of the Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy at Queen's University We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Frozen bank accounts, financial chaos, job loss, poverty. Those are all things Gonzalo witnessed while living through the largest foreign default in world history. Other than putting our current financial crisis into perspective, he wants to know if there’s anything we can learn from living through challenging times. Jordan speaks with David Coletto, founder and CEO of Abacus Data, and Tanya Woods, Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs and Policy Council at Questrade Financial Group, to find an answer. Do you have a money problem? Call us and leave a message at 416-935-5935. Or email us at hello@itepod.ca. You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok @InThisEconomyPod. Don't forget to leave a call-back number, so we can get in touch. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It's time again for us to dip into our trove of listener emails and voicemails and share with you some of our favourite pieces of feedback we received over the past month or so. A special thanks to everyone who's taken the time to tell us how you feel. Even if your submission didn't make it into this episode, please keep writing and calling in. Your input helps us make the show better. Have a great long weekend! We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

In November 2019, months before the pandemic made heroes of public sector workers like teachers and (especially) nurses, Ontario's government passed Bill 124, attempting to cap their pay increases at one percent for the next three years. It didn't go very well. Earlier this month, after years of protests and bad press, and a legal challenge that went to the highest court ion the province, the same government repealed the bill. And then announced in the budget that the entire fight, including years of back pay, has already cost the province $6 billion in taxpayer money, and could cost billions more. So...what happened here? Why did this fight drag on for years? And would the government have been better off just paying up in the first place? GUEST: Richard Southern, Queen's Park reporter, CityNews We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

You may not know which ads meet the definition of greenwashing—but you know the type of ads in that discussion. Big corporations assuring you of how much they do for the environment, how sustainable their practices are and how much they've already done to make sure you can enjoy their products guilt-free. As the climate crisis worsens, convincing your customers your business is part of the solution, not the problem, can translate to a lot of revenue. The question is, how legitimate are those claims, and what happens when someone reports you for not meeting your own lofty standards? GUEST: Carl Meyer, climate investigations reporter, The Narwhal We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

You have to work pretty hard, in most of the country, to avoid spending money with a Loblaw-owned business. From its origins in groceries to market dominance there, the ubiquity of Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix, and everything from finance to clothing also under its umbrella, the Weston family has built a staggering retail empire. How did they do it? What happens when one company controls so much of the market for essential goods? What does it mean for us? Should the government take action here, and what could they do about it if they were so inclined? After all, isn't Loblaw just...successful? GUEST: David Moscrop, writer, author and political commentator (Read David's piece on Loblaw right here.) We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter